Changeable-speed gearing.



No. 763,244. PATENTBD JUNE 21, 1904. G. M4 BBARD'. GHANGEABLB SPEED GBARING.

APPLICATION FILED APB. 22, 1903. N0 MODEL.

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\ OMNYW UNITED STATES Patented .T une .21, 1904.

GEORGE M. BEARD, OF ANGOLA, INDIANA.

oHANeEABLE-SPEED GEARING.

SPECIFICATION forming' part of Letters Patent N o. 763,244, dated June 21, 1904. Application filed April 22, 1903l Serial No. 153,860. (No modelJ To all whom, t may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE M. BEARD, a citizen of the United States, residing at Angola, in the county of Steuben and State of Indiana, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Changeable-Speed Gearing, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to power-translating mechanism of novel formation to admit of varying the speed at will, thereby being admirably adapted for automobiles to acquire power for climbing grades and to gain speed on level roads.

For a full description of the invention and the merits thereof and also to acquire a knowledge of the details of construction of the means for effecting the result, reference is to be had to the following description and drawing hereto attached.

l/Vhile the essential and characteristic features of the invention are susceptible of modification, still the preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawing, which is a plan section of the gearing, showing it applied to a two-cycle eXplosive-engine.

The power-driven shaft 19 is geared at its ends to the crank-shafts 7 by means of the bevel-gears 20 and 21, said crank-shafts being connected to the pistons 4, arranged to operate in the cylinder 1 in any determinate way. A friction-pulley 22 is slidable upon shaft 19 and is keyed for rotation therewith and is adapted to be shifted by any wellknown means commonly employed for shipping movable parts of mechanical movements. Friction-pulley 22 comprises metallic side pieces and an intermediate part of leather or fibrous material, so as to prevent slipping when in frictional engagement with disk 23.

A bracket 24 is firmly attached to .the engine and is provided with a threaded portion 25, upon which a pressure-disk 26 is mounted and connected by corresponding screwthreads. This pressure-disk 26 is adapted to be operated by hand in any convenient way and, as shown, is provided with an operatingarm 27 to be connected to a lever or other acshaft 31 is reversed.

sprocket-wheel 32 is secured to the opposite end of shaft 31 to turn therewith. Bracket 24 is provided with a tubular extension 33, upon which spider or part 29 is loosely mounted. The power for operatingthe vehicle or other machine to be driven is taken from sprocket-wheel 32 by means of sprocket-chain (not shown) or in any usual way.

Shaft 19 performs the dual oflice of connecting crank-shaft 7 as well as to transmit motion to the part from which power is taken. By moving friction-pulley 22 upon shaft 19 shaft 31 may be driven at any relative speed, and by shifting the pulley to the opposite side of the center of friction-disk 23 the motion of To admit of frictionpulley 22 being easily shifted, pressure of friction-disk 23 thereon is removed by turning pressure-disk 26, so as to release idlers 28 from strain in a direction at a right angle tothe plane of friction-disk 23. After frictionpulley 22 has been properly positioned upon shaft 19 part 26 is turned to force frictionldisk 23 upon friction-pulley 22, so as to insure rotation of part 23 and operation of the machine or part to be driven connected therewith through the instrumentality of sprocket- Wheel 32 and shaft 31. Under certain conditions the mechanism may be utilized as an emergency-brake by shifting friction-pulley 22 from one side of friction-disk 23 to the other, thereby tending to reverse the motion, so as to bring the machine to a quick stop.

The most important feature is the driving of shaft 19 at a higher speed than the engine, As a since it will drive disk 23 much faster.

result a much larger' wheel can be used on axle of the vehicle and a much lighter friction or pressure between the disk 23 and pulley 22.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed as new is 1. In combination, a power-driven shaft, a friction-pulley slidable upon said shaft, a frietion-disk deriving motion from said frictionpulley, a pressure-disk, a support therefor having screw-thread connection therewith, whereby turning of said pressure-disk effects movement thereof toward and from the friction-disk, and idlers interposed between said pressure and friction disks, substantially as speciiied.

2. In combination, a power-driven shaft, a friction-pulley slidable upon said shaft, frietion-disk deriving motion from said frictionpulley, a pressure-disk, a support for the pressure-disk having screw thread connection therewith, idlers between the pressure and friction disks, and a support for said idlers loosely mounted upon the support of the pressure-disk, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE M. BEARD. [L s] Witnesses:

STEPHEN A. POWERS, SUSIE BERLIEN. 

